Snowball sampling is frequently advocated and employed by qualitative social researchers. Under certain circumstances, however, it is prone to faltering and even failure. Drawing on two research projects where the snowball failed to roll, the paper identifies reasons for this stasis. It goes on to argue that there are alternative forms of…

Essay-writing is generally viewed as the primary learning activity to foster independence and analytical thinking. In this article, we show that independent research projects do not necessarily lead to critical thinking. University-level education on conducting independent projects can, in several respects, counteract enhanced analytical skills.…

Ralph LaRossa's (2012) article on the multidimensional world of qualitative research provides family scientists with a set of innovative tools to guide writing and reviewing. He proffered an engaging challenge: to view the "Journal of Marriage and Family" ("JMF") as a meeting place of scholars, a thought community (Zerubavel, 1997), even a culture…

This paper dives into the messy work of writing (our) sexualities into our qualitative research. We suggest that even though queering research methods opens up new ways of conducting research and sharing a queer identity with research participants there are some limitations to both notions. One such limitation is that queer identities and…

This article provides a brief summary of the seven articles in this special issue through the lens of the concept of "caring reflexivity". In joining "caring" and "reflexivity", we deepen the conversation about what constitutes reflexivity, encouraging an explicit focus on the relational. Revisiting the first article,…

Community data concerning drug and alcohol usage patterns was assessed via a unique "personal delivery" system. The system, which can be used for collecting other community data produced a return rate of 45% and was very economical. This system largely overcomes the main drawback of the mailed questionnaire (low return rate) by (1) having…

Explores concerns about the functions of research and uses of research findings, examines the institutional context of research and some of the problems faced by social sciences, and identifies some possible approaches and changes in institutional structure which would strengthen the role and effectiveness of social scientists and rural…

Governing bodies that are quasi-rational, representative, and democratic are accountable to those they govern in much the same way that social scientists are accountable to the academic community. Since they both appeal to rationality as the basis of their actions, governments and scientists must use epistemologically adequate procedures to…

The report summarizes membership, activities, and finances of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) for the year 1976-1977. SSRC is a nonprofit corporation which has as its purpose the advancement of research in the social sciences. It endeavors to stimulate the development of theory and empirical knowledge concerning human behavior through…

Organization and management of social research and development throughout the federal government are reviewed. The report is intended for use by persons who administer, are affected by, and/or make policy decisions regarding the system of federal support for the production and application of knowledge of social problems. The report is presented in…

This document introduces research aimed to explore methods that could be used to make inferences about causual effects of educational change over time when data are from an educational panel. This preface, the first in a series of 14 chapters described in SO 011 760-772, discusses an educational research project designed to examine affects of…

Interviews with 180 federal agencies that conduct social research and development (R&D) were conducted and documents were examined to determine: (1) what types of social R&D are supported, and what levels of support are provided; (2) who defines the problems to be researched, who decides the level of support to be provided, and how investigators…

This book, consisting of 13 papers, deals with the theory, practice, and reactions to participatory research in the area of social research for development. Included in the volume are the following papers: "Breaking the Monopoly of Knowledge: Research Methods, Participation, and Development," by Budd Hall; "Creating Alternative…

Offered in response to a request for background information from the Congressional Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Technology, the document presents a report of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) support for social and psychological sciences research. Major objectives of the report are to review the origins of NSF support programs;…

The behavioral and social sciences offer the best perspective on changing individual and group behaviors and stopping the spread of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Social psychologists interested in basic research and/or theoretical issues have an opportunity to study naturally occurring independent variables. A potential area for…